TEXT 9
arajaka-bhayad esa
krto rajatad-arhanah
tato py asid bhayam tv adya
katham syat svasti dehinam
SYNONYMS
arajakabeing without a king; bhayatout of fear; esahthis Vena; krtahwas made; rajathe king; a-tat-arhanahthough not qualified for it; tatahfrom him; apialso; asitthere was; bhayamdanger; tuthen; adyanow; kathamhow; syatcan there be; svastihappiness; dehinamof the people in general.
TRANSLATION
Thinking to save the state from irregularity, the sages began to consider that it was due to a political crisis that they made Vena king although he was not qualified. But alas, now the people were being disturbed by the king himself. Under such circumstances, how could the people be happy?
PURPORT
In Bhagavad-gita (18.5) it is stated that even in the renounced order one should not give up sacrifice, charity and penance. The brahmacaris must perform sacrifices, the grhasthas must give in charity, and those in the renounced order of life (the vanaprasthas and sannyasis) must practice penance and austerities. These are the procedures by which everyone can be elevated to the spiritual platform. When the sages and saintly persons saw that King Vena had stopped all these functions, they became concerned about the peoples progress. Saintly people preach God consciousness, or Krsna consciousness, because they are anxious to save the general populace from the dangers of animalistic life. There must be a good government to see that the citizens are actually executing their religious rituals, and thieves and rogues must be curbed. When this is done, the people can advance peacefully in spiritual consciousness and make their lives successful.

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